Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

India's MedPlus Health posts higher Q2 profit as retail revenue rises

Indian pharmacy chain MedPlus Health Services reported a slight increase in second-quarter profit on Tuesday, helped by higher demand at its retail unit and store network expansion. Here are some more details:

Mankind Pharma's quarterly profit jumps 39% on strong chronic drug demand

Indian drugmaker Mankind Pharma reported an ​over 39% jump in second-quarter profit on Monday, helped by strong demand for chronic therapies such as diabetes and cardiac treatments, Here are the details:

China approves Bayer blood thinner asundexian

China's drug regulator said on Monday it approved the blood thinner asundexian from Bayer, ​a potential boost for the German drugmaker in the world's second-largest pharmaceutical market as it moves to counter competition from generic medicines. Bayer is betting on asundexian to offset declining revenue ‌from older blockbuster drugs, ​such as its blood thinner Xarelto, which has faced increased competition from cheaper generics since losing patent protection.

Swiss woman with Ebola evacuated from Nigeria to Geneva

A woman infected with the Ebola virus and her husband, a Swiss diplomat, were flown from Nigeria to hospitals in Switzerland on Monday, Swiss authorities said. The Ugandan-born wife of the diplomat, based in Abuja, was being treated at Geneva University Hospitals for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which has caused an outbreak that started in Democratic Republic of Congo.

US judge refuses to block Eli Lilly weight-loss drug ads, rules against Novo Nordisk

A US judge rejected on Monday Novo Nordisk's request to block Eli Lilly from continuing advertisements for weight-loss drugs that the Danish drugmaker considered false and misleading, affecting markets with tens of billions of dollars of annual sales. US District Judge Zahid Quraishi in Trenton, New Jersey, said Novo Nordisk ‌did not deserve a preliminary injunction, having failed to show that Eli Lilly's ads threatened sales, undermined its goodwill, or caused lasting damage to its clinical reputation.

Aspen Neuroscience, Bambusa Therapeutics launch US IPOs as biotech boom rolls on

Drug developers Aspen Neuroscience and Bambusa Therapeutics launched their US initial public offering roadshows on Monday, adding to a wave of issuers from the biotech industry that have tapped the fall IPO window. The sector has been a bright spot in an otherwise lackluster fall IPO window this year, as rising borrowing costs and choppy market conditions keep a lid on activity from other industries.

Ebola scientists to probe Nigeria case origin, Africa CDC says

A team of leading Ebola scientists will travel to Nigeria to help investigate how the country’s first patient in more than a decade got infected, Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya said. Their task will involve trying to work out how the female patient, the Ugandan-born wife of a Swiss diplomat based in Abuja, caught the Bundibugyo species of Ebola. Her travel documents show she had not visited the outbreak epicentre in Democratic Republic of Congo, Kaseya said in an interview with Reuters in London.

Pennsylvania measles cases rise to 1,360, state health department says

The Pennsylvania Health Department on ‌Monday reported 1,360 measles cases in the state, up 22 cases from its previous update. Here are key details:

Indian drugmaker Cipla misses profit view on US weakness, shares slip

Indian drugmaker Cipla missed second-quarter profit estimates on Tuesday as a sharp slowdown in its US business eclipsed strong growth at home. The country's third-largest drugmaker by revenue is experiencing weakness in North America, its biggest overseas market, since the start of the year as sales of generic Revlimid, Bristol Myers Squibb's blood cancer drug, continue to moderate after it went off patent.

Regeneron extends US agreement for additional ‌supply of Ebola treatment

Regeneron said on Monday it extended its agreement with a US health authority to provide additional supply of its Ebola treatment, amid a growing outbreak in Africa. Here are some details:

Johnson & Johnson's prostate cancer drug shrinks tumors in early-stage trial

Johnson & Johnson on Saturday said its experimental once-daily oral prostate cancer drug caused tumors to disappear or shrink in an early-stage trial. J&J had gained access to the drug through its $3.05 billion deal to buy Halda Therapeutics last year.

Eli Lilly international business chief Jonsson to retire; Yuffa to head global markets unit

Eli Lilly said on Tuesday that Patrik Jonsson, executive vice president and president of its international business, will retire at the end of 2026 after a 36-year career at the US drugmaker. The company said Ilya Yuffa will become executive vice president and president of the newly created Lilly Global Markets organization from January 1, 2027, as Lilly combines its US and international commercial operations into a single structure.

Congo's Ebola cases surpass 10,000 as fears grow of wider African spread

The number of confirmed Ebola cases in Democratic Republic of Congo has risen above 10,000, government data showed on Tuesday, a milestone that coincides with growing fears the epidemic could spread to more African countries. The latest situation report from Congo's public health institute put the number of cases at 10,060, with those killed by the virus reaching 4,887.

FDA warns Amgen over cancer drug promotional video

The US FDA on Tuesday warned Amgen that a promotional video for its ⁠colorectal cancer drug was misleading ​because it highlighted the benefits while failing to adequately disclose serious safety risks and patient limitations. Here are some details:

Kenya releases first Ebola contacts from quarantine, milestone in containment ⁠efforts

Kenya on Monday released from quarantine the first group of people who came into contact with its index Ebola patient, a milestone in its efforts to contain cases to a single infection cluster. The 20 people released completed 21 days of monitoring without developing Ebola symptoms and are in good health, the director-general in Kenya's health ministry, Patrick Amoth, said in a statement.

Brazil detects second Newcastle disease outbreak in Santa Catarina

Brazil has identified a second Newcastle disease outbreak in Santa Catarina state at a poultry farm in Coronel Freitas, the Agriculture Ministry said late on Sunday. The new case lies within an existing restricted area, requiring only a small adjustment to the containment zone after an initial case was reported last week ⁠at a turkey farm in the nearby city of Nova Itaberaba, the ministry added.

Novartis books $2.2 billion hit from drug trial setbacks, but lifts guidance

Novartis recorded about $2.2 billion in charges related to two drugs that failed in late-stage studies last month, even as it boosted its full-year profit expectations on Tuesday. The Swiss drugmaker's operating income fell 61% in the third quarter, hurt by higher research and development costs and a $1.9 billion partial impairment charge for del-desiran, one of two consecutive major trial setbacks unveiled in September that sent its shares tumbling at the time.

Canada introduces bill to allow people to be euthanized after they lose capacity to decide

The Canadian government ​will introduce a new bill on Tuesday to allow people to request being euthanized at a later date when they have lost the mental capacity to make that decision, in a potential further expansion of one of the world's most liberal assisted dying programs. Justice Minister Sean Fraser said the new legislation will allow adults to consent to being euthanized in advance "so their wishes could be respected if they are diagnosed with an incurable illness that could take away the ability to make this decision."

Reckitt lowers annual ⁠guidance on manufacturing struggles in North America

Dettol maker Reckitt lowered its annual revenue forecast on Tuesday and reported revenue growth below analyst expectations in the third quarter, hampered by a challenging consumer environment and manufacturing constraints in its North American market. The company, which makes Durex condoms and Lysol cleaning products, reported like-for-like net revenue growth of 3.3% in its core business for the quarter ended September 30, compared with a 3.6% forecast by analysts in a company-compiled poll.

HCA signals flat 2027 earnings as Medicaid payments drop; shares slide

US hospital operator HCA Healthcare signaled flat earnings for 2027 on Tuesday, as lower Medicaid payments and a rise in uninsured patients threaten to offset steady patient demand, sending its shares down over 5%. On a post-earnings conference call with analysts, CEO ⁠Sam Hazen ​said "we anticipate our earnings in 2027 will be generally consistent with 2026," noting that the policy environment remains fluid. HCA will provide a full 2027 outlook in January.

Merck drug extends survival in endometrial cancer trial, wins US priority review

The US health regulator has accepted Merck's experimental targeted drug for a priority review based on data from a late-stage trial where it extended survival in women with an advanced form of endometrial cancer. The drug, sacituzumab tirumotecan, also known as sac-TMT, delivers a cancer-killing payload to cells that carry a protein called TROP2, which is common in endometrial tumors.

Senior doctors in England set to strike over pay offer in November

Senior hospital doctors in England are set to stage a two-day strike in November, the British Medical Association said on Monday, following a government recommendation of a below-inflation pay rise. The strike, due to take place on November 25 and 26, is the latest example of disputes over pay and working conditions across Britain's National Health Service which have led to more than a dozen rounds of industrial action since 2023.

Centene lifts 2026 profit forecast, sees earnings growth continuing in 2027

Centene raised its annual profit forecast and said it expects 2027 earnings ⁠to be higher than this year, sending the health insurer's shares up 3%. Higher medical costs in recent years due to elevated healthcare demand have squeezed margins for health insurers and prompted them to improve pricing and tighten cost controls.

Swiss AI drug trial start-up receives funding from Spotify-backer Creandum

Swiss AI start-up Atlast Bio, which runs drug trials on virtual patients, has received $12.5 million in funding led by Swedish venture capital firm Creandum, an early backer of Spotify and Trade Republic, the company said on Tuesday. Atlas Bio is aiming to replace Phase II drug ⁠trials, which it says cost more than $100 million, take two to three years and see about 70% of drugs fail at that stage

GSK to nearly double cancer ⁠medicines in clinical trials next year

GSK said on Tuesday that it expects to almost double the number of cancer medicines it has in clinical trials next year, including those in early-stage studies, as it tries to rebuild its oncology business. The drugmaker's clinical-stage portfolio of about 15 assets would likely "come close to doubling" in 2027, Hesham Abdullah, who heads GSK's oncology research and development, told the Wall Street Journal earlier on Tuesday.

Artiva to discontinue cell therapy after two patient deaths, cut workforce by 94%

Artiva Biotherapeutics said on Tuesday it would halt the development of an experimental cell therapy for certain autoimmune conditions — its lead candidate — after two patient deaths, sending its shares slumping 32%. The company will slash its workforce by about 94% and evaluate strategic alternatives, it said.

Hengrui Pharma reports 88.9% rise in 2026 third-quarter profit on licensing deals

Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals, China's biggest drugmaker by market value, ‌reported on Tuesday a rise of 88.9% in profit for the third quarter of 2026, driven by income ‌from out-licensing deals. Net profit of 2.5 billion yuan ($375 million) for the quarter ended September 30 was up from 1.3 billion a year ago

Bavarian Nordic donates 75,000 mpox vaccine doses to global emergency stockpile

Bavarian Nordic will donate vaccines for a global mpox emergency stockpile to strengthen preparedness against the viral disease, ​the Danish vaccine maker said in a statement on Tuesday. Bavarian Nordic will donate 75,000 doses of its MVA-BN vaccine to the emergency stockpile